The Siberian Synchrotron Radiation Source (SKIF) User Facility Reaches 99.7% Completion

The 4+ generation synchrotron is being constructed in the science town of Koltsovo in the Novosibirsk Region on a 30-hectare site. The facility is currently 99.7% complete. During a working visit to the region, the Minister of Science and Higher Education, together with Governor Andrey Travnikov, assessed the current status of construction, installation, and commissioning works at SKIF, as well as the progress of scientific equipment installation at the experimental stations, according to the ministry’s press service.

“The commissioning of SKIF is of critical importance both for cutting-edge scientific research and for addressing practical challenges faced by innovative and industrial enterprises. By 2035, the center plans to establish 30 experimental stations where scientists from various fields, representing research organizations in Russia and partner countries, will be able to work,” emphasized Valery Falkov.

The equipment for seven first-phase experimental stations has been fully manufactured. At present, equipment for two of them has already been installed:  the “Fast Processes” station, which will enable the study of material properties under extreme loads and high temperatures; the “High-Energy X-ray Diagnostics” station, designed for applications in materials science, life sciences, archaeology, and paleontology. Both stations have successfully completed dry-run testing.

The creation of five additional stations is at the final stage. Among them:

“Basic Synchrotron Diagnostic Methods for Education, Research, and Innovation Activities of Students” — an educational and research laboratory primarily focused on training specialists. The first experiments at SKIF will be conducted at this station, including studies of titanium-based catalyst structures used in producing ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, a material applied in medical implants such as artificial joint components and wear-resistant medical equipment parts;

“Microfocus” — equipped with diamond anvil cells for studying the structure, properties, and behavior of matter under ultra-high pressure;

“Structural Diagnostics” — designed for investigating the structure of organic and inorganic substances at the atomic and molecular levels. The station will support research in biomedicine, pharmaceuticals, materials science, solid-state chemistry, energy, metallurgy, and the nuclear industry;

“XAFS Spectroscopy and Magnetic Dichroism” — intended for a wide range of applications in structural chemistry, catalysis, materials science, semiconductor industry, geology, and environmental studies. The station’s equipment will enable atomic-level analysis of organic and inorganic materials, as well as studies of functional materials;

“Electronic Structure” — focused on the study of catalysts, microelectronics components, and semiconductor devices.

As noted by Governor Andrey Travnikov, the equipment has been developed by Siberian scientists from leading research institutions, including the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, the Lavrentyev Institute of Hydrodynamics, the Design and Technological Institute of Scientific Instrument Engineering, and others. The Boreskov Institute of Catalysis coordinated the work. The quality of this unique equipment meets the highest standards. More than 1,500 contracts with subcontractors were signed for the production of station components, with 88 elements designed and manufactured in Russia for the first time. Four student design bureaus also participated in the project.

The SKIF team is currently being actively formed. At present, it comprises around 300 people, most of whom are researchers and engineers from a wide range of disciplines. Among them, 45 hold PhD degrees and 16 hold Doctor of Sciences degrees.